21st Century Skills
Century graduates need a lot more skills and attributes to thrive in the careers than in the past. The World Economic Forum identify 16 skills that all students will need by the time they graduate from secondary school, and the learning in these areas will be lifelong.
Currently, a new revolution is taking place. According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2020 automation, robotization and digitization are driving the need for new skills in the workplace. From 2018 to 2025, the machine: human division of labour ratio is predicted to increase from 29% machine to 52% machine in seven years. While a net increase if in jobs is predicted, a significant shift in the skills required in the world of work is also anticipated. The following table outlines the skills most likely to grow and decline in demand by 2022.
Notice that any of the skills growing in demand are complex and could just as easily be described in the terms typically used to describe attributes (e.g. analytical, innovative, creative, influential, emotionally intelligent etc.) Employers today are as interested in attributes (who people are) as skills (what they can do) partly because the nature of what they will expected to do is likely to change dramatically.
Against these job market developments, it’s interesting to notice that many universities have defined the attributes to be fostered in their students by graduation, including UCC through the .
It is also interesting to note how many of the skills set to grow in the demand are what as referred to as “human” skills such as:
- creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation
- resilience, flexibility and complex problem-solving
- emotional intelligence, leadership and social influence
So how can you set out to ensure that you develop – and can demonstrate that you’ve developed – these critical skills and attributes?
One thing you can do is complete the PWC Employability Booklet – this engaging and practical self-audit is a great start. By undertaking this audit, you’ll know exactly which skills you have developed to a high level, which need more work – and what you can do to improve. The 10 skills covered in this guide are relevant to every graduate, regardless of degree or target career.
Another key step to take towards preparing for the 21st Century workplace is to to assess and develop your emotional intelligence, an increasingly valued form of intelligence that will permeate every aspect of your work.
Swiss philosopher, Alain De Botton defines emotional intelligence very clearly as 'the quality which enables us to confront, with patience, insight and imagination the many problems that we face in our effective relationship with ourselves and other people'.
Reflect on these questions:
- How well do I understand and value myself?
- How well do I manage myself and my emotions?
- How well do I inspire myself to grow and contribute?
- How well do I understand and value others?
- How well do I manage others and their difficulties?
- How well do I inspire others to grow and contribute?
- How well do I understand and value different groups and cultures?
- How well do I manage diverse and changing circumstances?
The more experience you have of working with others, and reflecting on the experience, the more accurate your experience is likely to be.
